Outer Boroughs Get No Cab Love in Livery Plan Letdown

The Bloomberg administration's plan to make flagging down a livery cab outside of Manhattan legal is being "shelved," the New York Times reports, "after criticism from the taxi industry and lukewarm support from key lawmakers." Instead of helping out black cabs, and thereby everyone living in an outer borough, the city may try to create a new fleet of yellow cabs that would only be allowed to pick up passengers away from most of Manhattan, so as not to undercut the existing no-rules yellow cabs who clearly have more influence than the gypsy drivers. The new restricted medallions would cost much less or be free, as opposed to the all-access medallions, which can run a driver up to $1 million. "The mayor's bottom line is quality taxi access in all five boroughs," said the taxi commissioner, but a new plan, of course, means more time to wait. [NYT]